One thing many classic cocktails share in common is simplicity — less than four or five ingredients, little fuss, and lots of flavor. Case and point: The Mint Julep — Sugar, Bourbon and Mint. Simple, yet very flavorful.

As with many recipes, ingredient substitutions can lead to exciting new twists on classic cocktails. For my beeralicious twist on the Mint Julep, I opted to use honey syrup instead of sugar and basil instead of mint. The final touch was a shot of fizz and flavor from Bison Brewing’s Honey Basil Ale — a virtually hopless organic beer with a beautiful golden amber hue.